Dr Reddy’s to Distribute Takeda’s Qdenga Dengue Vaccine in India

Dr Reddy's Laboratories has entered into an exclusive commercial agreement with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited to promote and distribute the Qdenga dengue vaccine across India's private market for pediatric and adult immunization. Subject to the finalization of local regulatory processes, the vaccine is anticipated to become commercially available in the country during the first half of 2027.

Official figures show annual dengue cases in India rose from 99,913 in 2015 to 188,401 in 2017 and 157,315 in 2019, before dropping to 44,585 during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns. Post-pandemic figures show dengue climbed to 193,245 cases in 2021, 233,251 cases in 2022, a record 289,235 cases with 485 deaths in 2023, and 233,519 cases with 297 deaths in 2024.

The commercial arrangement follows the marketing authorization granted to Qdenga by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization in July 2026 for individuals aged four to 60 years. This regulatory clearance established Qdenga as the first approved dengue vaccine in the Indian market, setting the stage for its private-sector rollout through Dr Reddy's extensive distribution infrastructure.

Under the terms of the agreement, Dr Reddy's will serve as the exclusive commercial partner responsible for healthcare professional engagement, disease awareness initiatives, and nationwide distribution in India's private vaccination market. Takeda will retain legal ownership, overall medical and brand oversight, and the exclusive rights to promote and distribute Qdenga within India's public immunization programs.

M.V. Ramana, CEO of Global Generics at Dr Reddy's Laboratories, noted the significance of the partnership. As reported by Machine Maker and Business Wire India, Ramana said, "As the second-largest vaccine player in India, we believe the introduction of India's first approved dengue vaccine is an important development for the country's healthcare landscape. Through our collaboration with Takeda, we look forward to making QDENGA available to eligible individuals and contributing to efforts aimed at addressing the country's dengue burden."

Qdenga, also designated as TAK-003, is a live-attenuated tetravalent vaccine built upon a DENV-2 backbone with structural proteins derived from DENV-1, DENV-3, and DENV-4. It is administered in a two-dose schedule spaced three months apart. The vaccine's clinical efficacy and safety profile were evaluated in a global clinical program involving more than 60,000 participants across eight dengue-endemic countries.

Qdenga uses an attenuated DENV-2 backbone providing strong protection against DENV-1 and DENV-2 without requiring pre-vaccination screening, whereas Dengvaxia uses a yellow fever backbone requiring mandatory pre-screening due to severe dengue risks in seronegative individuals. Takeda applies a tiered pricing model where Qdenga costs $115 to $120 per dose in Germany, $40 per dose in Indonesia, with Indian private market pricing expected to follow developing endemic benchmarks.

Clinical trial data cited in the reporting indicate that the vaccine demonstrated 80.2 percent efficacy against confirmed dengue cases one year after the second dose in late-stage trials. Furthermore, it achieved 90.4 percent efficacy against dengue-related hospitalizations after 18 months, fulfilling a secondary endpoint of the study. The World Health Organization has recommended Qdenga without pre-vaccination screening in high-endemic countries and listed it as a prequalified vaccine.

The introduction of the vaccine aligns with mounting pressure to address a rising disease burden across the subcontinent. Reported dengue cases in India have increased eleven-fold over the past two decades, driven by year-round transmission cycles tied to monsoon patterns and urban vector proliferation.

A nationwide molecular surveillance study conducted by the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory of the Indian Council of Medical Research established that all four viral serotypes, DENV-1 through DENV-4, are co-circulating across multiple regions, with approximately one in 14 patients infected by multiple serotypes concurrently. In parallel, the Parliamentary Committee on Health has recommended evaluating the vaccine for potential inclusion in the Universal Immunization Program, though private-market availability via Dr Reddy's will serve as the initial access pathway following its 2027 launch.